A Haunting She'd Never Forget
by Musings of a Shaken Mind
Summary: It was at that moment that the electricity decided to go out." For amgglekim's Trick or Treat Halloween Challenge. BPOV.


**Trick or Treat Halloween Contest**

**A Haunting She'd Never Forget…**

**Becky Scarlett-Cullen**

**Type of story: Trick!**

**Character type: In character. Mostly…**

**Story type: Humans are humans, Vampires are Vampires.**

**POV: Bella. **

**

* * *

**"You have got to be joking me. No. No way."

I stared in absolute horror at the torturous ensemble that my favourite soon-to-be-sister held up in front of me.

"Alice! You can _not _be serious!"

Alice's tiny, pixie-like features took on a new expression. Gone was the wicked grin, replaced by large golden eyes, quivering lip. Even though I knew that it was impossible for her to cry, she was doing a very, very good job of pretending.

"Pleeeeeaaase, Bella! Please, for me! You love me, don't you?"

It was hard to resist an expression like that. I mentally congratulated myself for staying strong.

"Think about Edward! He would _love _you if you wore this!"

That one made me smile. "Actually, Alice, I was sort of under the impression that he already loved me…"

"He'll love you more!! I promise! Please, Bella, Pleeeeasssee!"

"Alice! I don't want to. Don't make me…"

"Bella, I will owe you for a hundred years!"

I growled at her, a sound more like one that would generally come out of her own mouth, or even Edward's. "You would owe me for _an eternity_!"

"Is that a yes?" Her tiny features perked up in sudden joy and eagerness. It was hard to resist a face like that.

"FINE!" I all but screamed at her. "But I swear, Alice, I'm not leaving this house…"

Alice clapped her hands excitedly, jumping up and down. That girl has so much energy. It's hardly fair.

"Just go to your happy place, Bella. It will be over soon…"

**Several hours later…**

**

* * *

**"Ta-daah!!"

"Are you really finished, or is it another false alarm?" I was absurdly hopeful. Was an end to this torture in sight, at long last?

"Silly Bella! Of course I'm finished." Alice sounded jubilant. This would not end well for me…

"Look at you! Look, look, look!"

I opened my eyes reluctantly, pupils dilated from being in the dark for so long. I blinked, trying not to squint in the sudden light, to see past the glare to the mirror that I was facing.

I almost screamed.

That annoyingly over-excitable pixie had dressed me in a ridiculous Supergirl costume. It was tight, short, and made of something that strongly resembled opaque clingfilm. (At least it was opaque though, really.)

Oh, this was not funny.

This was not funny in the least.

My make-up was pretty awful. Something that would have looked far better on Rosalie than it did me, in my opinion. My eyes were too dark, a smoky black, and my lips were a bright crimson.

But that wasn't the worst part. Not the ridiculous costume (though it came a close second), not the make-up. Not even the five-inch, thigh-length scarlet boots that Alice had forced me into.

Oh no.

My hair was blonde. Blonde! BLONDE!

Instead of the usual, comforting, plain brown, it was now nearly white-blonde. Awful. _Mental note to self: NEVER DYE HAIR!_

In keeping with the heroes theme, Alice stood behind me dressed as Catwoman, with Rosalie beside her as wonder-woman. Both looked glorious.

I looked at myself in the mirror again. I looked like some cheap imitation. It was all I could do to stop the tears from falling.

Alice mistook the tears that were welling in my eyes as some twisted form of gratitude, and hugged me tightly, grinning enthusiastically.

"You're welcome, Isabella… or should I say... Supergirl?! Now, let's go!"

So fast that I wasn't entirely sure how it had happened, I had been thrown unceremoniously over Alice's shoulder, and we were already downstairs. Hmm. The excitement had apparently made Alice even faster than usual.

She set me down gently on the sofa. I scowled at her, crossing my arms over the all-too-revealing bodice of the costume.

"Time to go, Bellaaa!"

Rosalie smiled down at me, "We're meeting the boys at the entrance to the graveyard. It's not far, but we'll take the Porsche."

"Nope."

"What?" Both Rosalie and Alice looked confused, but it was Alice who spoke. "Bella, what d'you—"

"I said, 'nope.'"

Rosalie rolled her eyes, "We heard what you said, Bella, but—"

"I said I wasn't leaving the house, and I'm not."

Alice did that annoying quivery lip thing again, but I looked obstinately away. I was not leaving. Not a chance. Not in this costume, with this awful hair colour.

"Pleaseeee, Bella!"

"No. You go have fun, though."

A sudden gleam entered Alice's eye. I didn't like the expression she now wore. "Fine, we _will_!"

Rosalie frowned, turning to the other girl. "We will?"

"Sure," Alice smiled. "I forsee it."

I was shocked by the abrupt change in plans, but decided not to press the matter. Especially if I was going to get away with this…

"Mmkay. I'll be here. Don't come back until you've got all this Halloween crap out of your systems."

"Bella, don't forget that Carlisle and Esme won't be back until the morning. There's human food in the fridge, and I'm sure Edward won't mind you using his bed. You don't mind being here alone, do you?" She hesitated for a moment, before continuing. "Never mind. You'll be fine, I can see that. Have fun!"

"Um… you too. Bye!"

They left then, moving at vampire speed from the room.

To be honest, I was shocked. I had been prepared for hours of fighting… that had been easy! I heard the Porsche pull away, and knew that I had gotten away with it. _Wow!_

With a triumphant smile, I made my way back upstairs, to wash the crap off of my face and hair. I hoped that the hair-dye Alice had used was not permanent…

Finding my own clothes again, I pretty much peeled that costume off of myself, making sure that it was damaged beyond repair, and threw it away, stepping into the shower in Alice's bathroom.

I smiled to myself, feeling the hot water beating down on my bare skin, and was finally peaceful. I washed my favourite strawberry scented shampoo into my hair, humming the lullaby to myself. With a contented sigh, I turned off the shower and wrapped myself in a large, fluffy towel.

It was at that moment that the electricity decided to go out.

I screamed, before realising that it was just a power cut. Fumbling for my clothes, I pulled on the comfortable jeans and shirt, scrubbing my wet hair with the towel.

I glanced around warily, but there was no light, here. Damn the Cullens for having to live out of town! I was miles from anywhere, in a silent, empty house… and it was beginning to get cold. The heating had gone, too.

I shivered, making my way carefully across the tiled floor. It would be just my luck to slip and break my neck, or something.

I left Alice's steamy bathroom, headed for my comfort zone—Edward's room. I'd be safe there, and warm in his bed. I'd sleep this off. Come to think of it, I was pretty tired…

I made my way carefully up to the third floor, along to the room that I loved best. I paused outside the room for a moment, before pushing open the familiar door and stepping inside.

It was a moment before I screamed.

It was bloodcurdling, shattering the silence. But I clapped a hand over my mouth, shutting off the sound just as suddenly as it had started.

The room was completely empty.

I'm not so sure what it was exactly it was about this fact that terrified me so much, but I was petrified. Stumbling backwards into the dark corridor, I slammed the door violently shut, practically running from it, back into the safety of Alice's room.

It took me a moment to realise that everything was wrong here, too.

Nothing. There was nothing.

But how could that be? I'd been through this room, not half an hour before, with the lights on! Everything had still been here, then. The room must have been too dark for me to see anything when I had been through last.

Wanting some familiarity, I left Alice's room hurriedly, and stepped into Carlisle's prized office.

It was the same. Everything was gone. I turned instinctively to he wall opposite the window, the one that usually held hundreds of pictures, of assorted sizes and ages. Carlisle's life, in pictures.

They lay, smashed, on the floor.

And then that awful rust-and-salt smell hit my nostrils and I gasped, my head reeling. Blood. There was blood somewhere, here. I wished there was light, but then wasn't so sure. Would light reveal the true horrors of this room? I dreaded to think.

But it was too late for that. My eyes were already adjusted to the darkness. Horrified, I realised that there was writing on the pale wall. Dark, staining the cream wallpaper.

Blood.

**Bella, I'm watching you…**

_Bella…_ I heard the whisper and screamed again, whirling around to face the voice. There was no-one there.

_Bella… _I shuddered away from the unknown voice, slamming the door behind me.

Suddenly, I wished that I hadn't been quite so adamantly against going out with Rosalie and Alice. This was not funny in the least.

_Bella…_

I ran downstairs, needing to get away from the voice.

There was nothing.

No sofa, TV. Esme's precious dining table was gone, and so were all the chairs. The kitchen was empty.

This was terrifying.

I ran out of the door.

I didn't care that I had no shoes on, that I was just wearing a thin shirt, or that my hair was still wet. I didn't care that it was raining lightly now, or that a wind was blowing, or that I basically had no idea where I was going.

I just ran.

Tears streamed down my face, mixing with the rain. I ran, not even tiring or stopping, all the way to town, though my breathing came in ragged gasps, and my heart beat faster than it did, even when I was with Edward. Almost.

I ran for what felt like forever, away from the terrifyingly empty house, and the writing, and that voice…

I kept running until I reached the old graveyard, crying out for Edward, or Alice. I wouldn't even have minded seeing Rosalie, at that point.

They were with me in a second.

Alice sounded unbearably smug, "I knew you'd come around. Nice costume, by the way… I especially like the hair. Very original."

My hand flew to my hair. I gasped as I realised that the semi-permanent dye had not come out completely, giving my hair an odd, striped effect. And it was also practically sticking up on end.

Edward's arms were around me, and I buried my face in his marble chest, my breathing still gasping.

"Am I…_ gasp_… really…_gasp_… that bad?"

"Of course not, love. You look—"

Alice rolled her eyes, cutting him off. "Yes, Edward, we know. Bella looks beautiful. Bella always looks beautiful. Shut up."

Emmett was grinning widely, holding his hand out for Jasper, who reluctantly handed him a wad of cash. I gaped at them, from the safety of Edward's arms.

"What's that for?"

Jasper looked annoyed, "I thought you were tougher than that, Bella. I bet you'd see through it. Emmett thought differently. Thanks a lot, Bella… You just lost me a thousand dollars. Plus the cost of all the repairs… and the furniture will be soaked now too, after it's been in the garden for this long…"

My mouth fell open. "You… you did that?"

Rosalie laughed, and spoke for the first time. "Sure, Bella. We did tell you we'd be having fun. I thought that Alice's improvisation with the voice was particularly spectacular."

Alice giggled, rather spoiling the effect as she whispered my name again. _"Bella…"_

"NO!"

"Yes…" Emmett laughed, "And we got the whole thing on tape, too! Classic, Bella… just wonderful… One for the album, definitely…"

Alice cackled wickedly. "Happy Halloween, Bella!"


End file.
